Romney Campaign Press Release - Mitt Romney: Rick Santorum Doesn't Have Fiscally Conservatice Track Record

"Rick Santorum is now just being seen for the first time in many homes and his background and mine are very different. We have a Tea Partier here. I think a Tea Partier would find it very interesting that Rick Santorum voted to raise the debt ceiling five times without getting compensating reductions in spending. I think the fact that he continues to defend earmarks, including his $500,000 earmark to the Pittsburgh Zoo for a polar bear exhibit. I don't think that's consistent with the principles of conservatism. I don't think Rick Santorum's track record is that of a fiscal conservative." — Mitt Romney

Mitt Romney

Remarks

Shelby Township, Michigan

February 21, 2012

Click Here To Watch Mitt Romney's Remarks

Mitt Romney On Rick Santorum's Record Of Big Spending In Washington:

MITT ROMNEY: "Well you make a good point: we have very different backgrounds, and Senator Santorum hasn't been as carefully viewed by the American public as have the others. We had Donald Trump for a while, then we had Herman Cain and we had Rick Perry and Newt Gingrich. They've all been vetted pretty carefully. Rick Santorum is now just being seen for the first time in many homes and his background and mine are very different. We have a Tea Partier here. I think a Tea Partier would find it very interesting that Rick Santorum voted to raise the debt ceiling five times without getting compensating reductions in spending. I think the fact that he continues to defend earmarks, including his $500,000 earmark to the Pittsburgh Zoo for a polar bear exhibit. I don't think that's consistent with the principles of conservatism. I don't think Rick Santorum's track record is that of a fiscal conservative. And so I think that will, ultimately, be interesting in this process and will lead to my getting more support."